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Purpose. Outbreaks caused by infectious diseases are now serious public health events. At present, most hospitals have a high number of fever clinic attendances. In order to improve the efficiency of fever clinic screening, timely detection and control of infection sources, early detection, early isolation, and early treatment, our hospital explored the construction and effect of our fever clinic management model during the response period by constructing a fever clinic regular management model based on the principles of infection control. Methods. 1300 cases (September 2021 to February 2022) with or without epidemiological history were divided into the control group (without epidemiological history) and the observation group (with epidemiological history) and patients were given differentiated management. A model of permanent management of a fever clinic during the epidemic was set up and evaluated by implementing the person responsible for epidemic positions, optimizing tertiary care, and strengthening nosocomial infection protection for health care workers. Results. The results showed that patients in the observation group had a lower age of onset, a longer consultation time, and a higher proportion of patients with fever, which was different from the control group (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the proportion of routine blood tests, the proportion of four respiratory virus tests, and the per capita cost were higher in the observation group, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). There were no missed diagnoses, underreporting, cross-infections, or nosocomial infections in either group, and there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of patients' evaluation of management quality and satisfaction with management (P > 0.05). The skill level, management attitude, and standardized operation of outpatient clinic managers improved after the construction of a fever clinic standing management model based on infection control, and the recognition of patients was higher in the observation group (P < 0.05). Conclusion. The construction of a fever outpatient routine management model based on the principle of infection control is conducive to the standardized implementation of the management and treatment of health care workers, early detection of the source of transmission to cut off the transmission route, avoiding cross-infection and nosocomial infection, and ensuring the safety of patients and health care workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several clinical parameters and biomarkers have been proposed as prognostic markers for stroke. However, it has not been clarified whether the risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with recurrent and first-ever stroke are similar. In this study, we aimed to explore the relationship between soluble lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor 1 (sLOX-1) levels and the prediction of the functional outcome in patients with recurrent and first-ever stroke. A total of 266 patients with recurrent and first-ever stroke, who underwent follow-up for 3 months, were included in this study. Plasma samples were collected within 24 h after onset. The results showed that biomarkers for the prognosis of patients with recurrent stroke were different from that of those with first-ever stroke. sLOX-1 levels were correlated with modified Rankin Scale scores of patients with recurrent stroke alone (r = 0.3232 , p = 0.001). sLOX-1 levels were also associated with an increased risk of unfavorable outcomes in patients with recurrent stroke with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.489 (95% confidence interval, 1.204–1.842, p < 0.0001). Combining the risk factors showed greater accuracy for prognosis, yielding a sensitivity of 93.2% and a specificity of 75%, with an area under the curve of 0.916, evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic curve. These findings suggest that the diagnosis and prognosis are different between patients with recurrent stroke and those with first-ever stroke, and sLOX-1 level is an independent prognostic marker in patients with recurrent stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypothermia treatment is a promising therapeutic strategy for brain injury. We previously demonstrated that 5′-adenosine monophosphate (5′-AMP), a ribonucleic acid nucleotide, produces reversible deep hypothermia in rats when the ambient temperature is appropriately controlled. Thus, we hypothesized that 5′-AMP-induced hypothermia (AIH) may attenuate brain ischemia/reperfusion injury. Transient cerebral ischemia was induced by using the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model in rats. Rats that underwent AIH treatment exhibited a significant reduction in neutrophil elastase infiltration into neuronal cells and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R), tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR), and Toll-like receptor (TLR) protein expression in the infarcted area compared to euthermic controls. AIH treatment also decreased the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling- (TUNEL-) positive neuronal cells. The overall infarct volume was significantly smaller in AIH-treated rats, and neurological function was improved. By contrast, rats with ischemic brain injury that were administered 5′-AMP without inducing hypothermia had ischemia/reperfusion injuries similar to those in euthermic controls. Thus, the neuroprotective effects of AIH were primarily related to hypothermia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]